The Tao of PoohGroup 6: Peter Yoon, Scott Cho, Won Woo Jung
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28. What is the “Great Nothing?” (143) -- It is the 'something' that unlocks the doors to wisdom, happiness and truth. To do something is actually nothing.
29. Why is an “Empty sort of mind” so valuable according to Taoism? (146-7) -- It lets one see what is there as it is instead of concerning oneself with knowledge, cleverness or abstract ideas.
30. Interpret the following quote: “To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.” (148-9) -- Knowledge involves constant learning, or adding; wisdom and the Way involves forgetting, removing, to get to Nothing.
31. Why is the child the highest stage of development? (151) -- A child is independent, clear minded and all seeing. Having a clear mind you can achieve
32. Why may knowledge and cleverness destroy life as we know it? (154) -- They are the wrong ways of looking for things. The application of the knowledge creates more problems than it solves. Knowledge and cleverness destroy life because you can't search for wisdom, just by being smart. Also having knowledge and being clever is Confucian ideals, and Daoism disagrees with Confucian ideals.
Discussion Questions 1) What do you think is more valuable, to have a lot of things(knowledge), or nothing at all(empty mind)?
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28. What is the “Great Nothing?” (143)
-- It is the 'something' that unlocks the doors to wisdom, happiness and truth. To do
something is actually nothing.
29. Why is an “Empty sort of mind” so valuable according to Taoism? (146-7)
-- It lets one see what is there as it is instead of concerning oneself with knowledge,
cleverness or abstract ideas.
30. Interpret the following quote: “To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain
wisdom, remove things every day.” (148-9)
-- Knowledge involves constant learning, or adding; wisdom and the Way involves forgetting, removing, to get to Nothing.
31. Why is the child the highest stage of development? (151)
-- A child is independent, clear minded and all seeing. Having a clear mind you can achieve
32. Why may knowledge and cleverness destroy life as we know it? (154)
-- They are the wrong ways of looking for things. The application of the knowledge creates more problems than it solves. Knowledge and cleverness destroy life because you can't search for wisdom, just by being smart. Also having knowledge and being clever is Confucian ideals, and Daoism disagrees with Confucian ideals.
Discussion Questions
1) What do you think is more valuable, to have a lot of things(knowledge), or nothing at all(empty mind)?